The Baltimore Ravens need Lamar Jackson to save their season, and they expect him to do so very soon.
Jackson has missed the team’s last two games with a hamstring injury, and with Baltimore’s season on life support after a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Jackson is expected to return after the Week 7 bye.
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Return Date Set
The impending return of Jackson — and linebacker Roquan Smith — has Harbaugh hopeful the Ravens can turn around their season after a 1-5 start to the season.
“Our quarterback’s gonna be back, that’s a big one,” Harbaugh told reporters after the 17-3 loss to the Rams.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported earlier in the day that things were trending toward Jackson being back after the bye.
“He has been in the building rehabbing,” Pelissero said on NFL Network, per Yahoo Sports.
Jackson suffered the injury during the Ravens’ Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. There was optimism his absence wouldn’t be a long one. Certainly, a three- or four-week absence doesn’t sound like much, but Baltimore has been borderline inept without the two-time MVP at the helm.
Things got so bad in Week 6 that backup Cooper Rush was benched in favor of Tyler Huntley.
Jackson’s absence is felt in more ways than one. He’s obviously one of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers, and taking him out of the mix is always going to be a major hit to the offense. The Ravens have also built the entire offense around Jackson and his unique skill set. Neither Rush nor Huntley, nor anyone in the game, really, can match that skill set.
When Jackson isn’t there, the entire offense and all of its elements suffer.
“When you take away the quarterback run threat, all the things he can do in space, the entire offense becomes more predictable, including the run packages with Derrick Henry,” Pelissero pointed out.
Jackson Only Part of Ravens’ Injury Problem
Certainly, Jackson’s injury looms the largest for the Ravens, but the issues extend beyond him and the offense. In fact, the defensive injuries might be the bigger issue.
Baltimore entered Week 6 with the No. 26 defense in the NFL by DVOA. The unit finally started to inch back toward full health for the Rams game with safety Kyle Hamilton returning. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey also returned, shoring up the Ravens’ secondary, and the defense largely did its part, limiting the Rams to 17 points.
Getting Smith back will be a needed boost to the middle of the defense.
However, Week 6 brought yet another defensive injury. Harbaugh also revealed linebacker Tavius Robinson broke his foot against Los Angeles. Robinson had played 70% of the defensive snaps entering this week.
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